The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Wednesday, 13 May launched a major statewide operation targeting individuals allegedly linked to Pakistan-based gangster networks, including the Shahzad Bhatti gang and the Dogra gang, according to officials. Coordinated raids began at around 8 am and swept across multiple cities and districts in Maharashtra, marking one of the most extensive anti-gangster operations the state has seen in recent months.

Scale and Locations of the Operation

ATS teams fanned out simultaneously across Nalasopara, Mira Road, Nagpur, Pune, Mumbai, Akola, Nanded, Nashik, and Jalgaon. The breadth of the operation — spanning both coastal and interior Maharashtra — signals that investigators believe the alleged networks have established a presence well beyond the Mumbai metropolitan region.

During the raids, ATS officials reportedly seized laptops, mobile phones, pen drives, and other electronic devices from locations linked to suspects. The digital evidence is currently being analysed to map the full extent of the alleged network and identify additional individuals who may have been in contact with the gangsters.

How the Networks Allegedly Operated

According to investigative agencies, intelligence inputs gathered over an extended period indicated that gangsters operating from across the border were allegedly using social media platforms to influence and recruit youths from Maharashtra into their criminal networks. Officials claimed these groups targeted local youths by luring them with promises of a luxurious lifestyle and financial gains, in a bid to expand their footprint across the state.

Investigators are also scrutinising the bank accounts and financial transactions of suspects to determine whether funds were allegedly being routed from Pakistan or other foreign locations through illegal hawala channels. This financial trail, officials said, could be critical in establishing the scale and international dimensions of the alleged conspiracy.

What the ATS Is Looking For

The operation is primarily focused on identifying sleeper cells, local operatives, and possible support systems connected to these gangs, so that any potential arms smuggling or larger conspiracies can be disrupted before they materialise, officials added. The ATS also intends to question individuals allegedly in contact with the gangsters through social media, including those believed to be followers or sympathisers of the networks.

The ATS has not yet disclosed the exact number of individuals being questioned or detained in connection with the operation. Further investigation into alleged interstate and international links of the suspected network is currently underway.

Context and Significance

This operation comes amid heightened security vigilance across India following recent cross-border tensions. The alleged use of social media for recruitment and hawala channels for funding mirrors patterns seen in other gang-related investigations in Maharashtra and neighbouring states. Notably, this is not the first time the ATS has targeted Pakistan-linked criminal networks in the state, but the geographic sweep of Wednesday's operation — covering at least nine cities and districts — underscores the scale of intelligence inputs that preceded it.

As digital evidence is processed and financial records examined, investigators are expected to determine whether additional arrests or detentions will follow in the coming days.